Theories which have stood against time
Many theories or technologies have been around for quite a long time. In some cases,
it is surprisingly long. (Radio is over 100 years old!) While no guarantee of
ultimate correctness, endurance is not something to be ignored either. Below is a
list of scientific theories, or technologies, by time period. The recent category is more prone
to bias and error as it does indeed represent more recent events. I've listed technologies
with the relevant theory in places. It is not uncommon for the technology to precede the
theory (e.g., the steam engine vs. Carnot cycle)
Again, as in any listing, the list is biased. Even though I've invited some comment
already (which accounts for many items regarding biology and optics), I would very
much appreciate additional comments. Please write me
with your additions/modifications.
- Pre-copernican (1543)
- Copernicus through 1800
- 1800-1900
- 1900-1950
- 1950-2000
Robert Grumbine bobg@radix.net
Last Modified 4 July 1999
Pre-copernican (pre-1543)
- Euclidean Geometry
- Zero
- Algebra
- Wheel
- Writing
- Paper
- Fire
- Domestication
- Agriculture
- Plowing
- Selective Breeding
- Metallurgy/Materials Science
- Copper
- Bronze
- Iron
- Pottery
- Ceramics
- Roads
- Ships
- Printing
- Gunpowder
- Clocks
Copernicus to 1800
- Analytic Geometry
- Calculus
- Statistics
- Heliocentric Solar System
- Telescope
- Newtonian Optics
- Conservation of Mass (Lavoisier)
- Newton's Law of Gravity
- Newton's Laws of Motion
- Variational Mechanics
- Laplace's Tidal Theory
- Celestial Mechanics
- Kepler's Laws
- Ideal Gas Laws
- Vaccination (Jenner, 1xxx)
- Conservation Laws and implications
- Navier-Stokes Equations of Fluid Dynamics
- First Law of Thermodynamics - Conservation of Energy
- Second Law of Thermodynamics
- Carnot Cycle
- Equivalence of Work and Energy - Joule
- Maxwell's Equations for Electromagnetism
- Telephone
- Radio
- Light bulb
- Electric motor / Dynamo
- Non-euclidean geometry
- Photography
- The Periodic Table
- Atomic theory (many flavors through time, reasonably modern by Dalton)
- Stellar Spectroscopy
- Radioactivity - Becquerel 1895
- Discovery of the Electron 1897
- Engines
- steam
- internal combustion
- diesel
- external combustion
- turbine
- Engine-driven transport
- Steam ship
- Train
- Automobile
- Ice Ages
- Theory for the form of the earth, including isostacy
- Principle of superposition (geology)
- Germ Theory
- Cell Theory
- The Theory of Evolution
- Mendelian Genetics
- Anesthesia
- Classical and Operant Conditioning (Pavlov 1897)
- Subconsciousness
Some from before 1950:
- Theory of Special Relativity
- Theory of General Relativity
- Quantum
- Mechanics
- Electrodynamics
- Theory of the Chemical Bond
- Semiconductors (and the transistor)
- Superconductivity (observed)
- Computers
- X rays
- Nucleosynthesis (what makes the sun shine)
- DNA
- The Modern Synthesis (of Mendelian genetics and evolution)
- Existence of subatomic particles (protons, neutrons, etc)
- Existence of Antimatter (positron, ...)
- The Big Bang theory
- Third Law of Thermodynamics - Nernst
- The Norwegian Low (theory from meteorology)
- Westward Intensification (why the oceans have strong currents on the western boundaries -- Gulf Stream in Atlantic and Kuroshio in Pacific)
- Baroclinic Instability (theory for why storm systems form)
- Milankovitch theory of ice ages
- Numerical Weather Prediction (Richardson, 1922; Charney, Fjortoft, von Neumann, 1947)
- Continental Drift - Wegener, 4th edition 1929
- Radioactive Dating
- Theory of convection
- Theory of flight
- Monin-Obukhov theory of convective turbulence
- Kolmogoroff theory of isotropic turbulence
- Chapman mechanism that explains why the earth has an Ozone Layer (1930)
- Inverse theory (using observations to reconstruct unobservable things, like the interior of the earth or of you (seismology and MRI, for example).
- Television
- Theory for the geostationary satellite - Arthur C. Clarke
- A bomb
- Nuclear power plants
- Zernike's phase contrast
...And some recent ones (since 1950)
- Quantum Chromodynamics
- Existence of Subnuclear particles (quarks)
- Unification of the Electromagnetic and Weak Nuclear Force
- High Temperature Superconductivity
- Superconductivity -- BCS theory (1957)
- Lasers
- Chaos (can split between here and the previous period, depending on your definitions)
- Theory of Radiative Transfer (tremendously improved by Chandresekhar 1950, though it existed more or less for the previous century)
- Punctuated Equilibrium
- Recombinant DNA
- 'Jumping' genes
- Prion Theory of Disease
- Endosymbiont Origin of Eukaryote Organelles
- PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
- Cloud physics theory of precipitation
- Theory of Data Assimilation (how to use current observations to improve understanding of prior conditions in order to make a better prediction)
- Theory of the Ventilated Thermocline
- Stommel and Arons theory of the Abyssal circulation
- Plate Tectonics
- Confocal and two-photon microscopy
- Satellites
My thanks to:
Robert Parson, Paul Myers, Paul Gans, Jonathan Stone, Mark Isaak,
bweaver@NOSPAMti.com, wilkins@wehi.edu.au.UNSPAM, bmgorte@NOSPAMmtu.edu
for their additions and corrections.
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